City committee bans guns for some misdemeanor convictions

July 19, 2012|By Kristen Mack | Tribune reporter

(Tribune illustration)

City Council’s Public Safe committee on Thursday approved a change to Chicago’s firearm ordinance that would ban individuals with a violent misdemeanor conviction from getting a gun permit for five years.

It also approved an ordinance intending to make it harder for people to recycle stolen material in the city.

Both measures passed with little discussion and will go to the full council for consideration on Wednesday.

Emanuel is pushing for the city firearm ordinance rewrite in response to a ruling by a federal judge who struck down a section of the city's law he called vague and unconstitutional. Under the city’s current ordinance, individuals convicted of misdemeanor weapons possession are barred from having a firearm.

Under the recycling facility ordinance, businesses would be required to have working surveillance cameras capable of monitoring all customers and cars. They also would be prohibited from accepting any material delivered in a retail store shopping cart or a government-owned garbage or recycling container.